Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Ima Matul Maisaroh

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I would share a stage with so many leaders and visionaries.

I grew up in a poor village in Indonesia. When I was 17 years old, I was brought to Los Angeles with the promise of a job as a nanny. Instead, I spent the next three years in domestic servitude being abused.

When I finally had the courage to escape my trafficker, I found a home at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking. After I got the support I needed, I found the strength to organize survivors from across the country.

Before human trafficking began to capture our attention, before there were laws to identify and protect victims, even before I escaped my trafficker, Hillary Clinton was fighting to end modern slavery. And throughout her career, Hillary kept up that fight.

Human trafficking is not just happening overseas; it is happening right here in our backyard.

Every day I hear stories just like my own. Still, I have hope.

There’s a growing awareness about the devastating impact of human trafficking. There’s a growing embrace of survivors in our communities and businesses and churches. And there’s a growing commitment to finding innovative solutions to make sure this generation of survivors will be the last.

I have hope, especially now that Hillary Clinton is running for president! As a survivor and an advocate, I have hope that we can end human trafficking.